Elden Ring: The 21 Best Incantations, Ranked (2024)

Elden Ring features a wide range of magic that players can use to aid them in combat and navigating the world. These spells are broken into two broad categories: Sorcery (powered by Intelligence) and Incantation (powered by Faith), and this article will break down 23 of Elden Ring's finest Incantations.

Incantations in Elden Ring can be learned from a number of NPCs throughout the game world, and some can be found hidden in certain locations around the map. Players would do well to prioritize these Incantations wherever and whenever they can be found, as their benefits can be quite useful.

Updated on March 27th, 2024, by Thomas Hawkins:With Shadow of the Erdtree on the horizon, the time was perfect to revisit this list of Incantations and consider new additions whose power was overlooked in the previous update. This includes Incantations like Triple Rings of Light, which can be used to deal holy damage multiple times and trigger the effects of spell parry Ashes, and Ancient Dragon's Lightning Strike, which can devastate large enemies with multiple bolts of lightning.

29 Rejection

The Powerful Shockwave

A useful spell for pushing back large groups of enemies (which can be especially prevalent in Elden Ring's open world) is Rejection. This spell unleashes a shockwave that pushes enemies back and knocks weaker enemies down while doing a small amount of damage.

Despite the low damage output, Rejection can be a very versatile spell when used for crowd control and can be purchased from Brother Corhyn in Roundtable Hold for 600 runes.

Players looking for a more powerful variant of Rejection should consider learning Wrath of Gold. This Incantation is found in the southwestern part of the Fringefolk Ruins, on Altus Plateau, and offers identical knockback but a decent chunk of Holy Damage too. With the right build Wrath of Gold can be fantastic for clearing out groups while retaining the same utility as Rejection.

28 Darkness

Get Them From Behind

An unconventional but useful spell for faith users is Darkness. While it deals no damage, it de-aggroes any enemy that enters the cloud it conjures, causing them to lose track of the player and leaving them open to backstabs. This spell has great utility as both an escape tool and as a means of fishing for critical hits by circling an enemy affected by the spell to hit them from behind.

Darkness is learned from either Brother Corhyn or Miriel, Pastor of Vows after giving them the Assassin's Prayer Book. The Prayer Book can be found in Roundtable Hold, behind the second Imp Statue door in the basem*nt.

27 Pest Threads

Deadly Sticky Threads

Pest Threads is one of the few Servants of Rot Incantations found in the game. This spell allows the caster to send out multiple sticky threads that shoot towards the target. These threads pierce through enemies and can hit multiple targets, which makes them incredibly powerful when fighting large enemies. This is because individual body parts on a large enemy (such as a Dragon's Wings, Body, Arms, and Legs) are treated as separate targets, allowing Pest Threads to deal damage multiple times.

Players can purchase Pest Threads from Sage Gowry in Selia for 7,500 Runes. Gowry will not sell this Incantation until Millicent's quest has progressed to the point where the player has given her the Valkyrie's Prosthesis.

26 Swarm of Flies

Kill With Bloodflies

A difficult spell to find but very useful against any foe vulnerable to hemorrhage, Swarm of Flies allows players to create a homing swarm of bloodflies that bite and tear into enemies, dealing damage and building up the hemorrhage status effect. This makes it excellent for builds with a high arcane stat, especially bleed builds.

The spell is found in Mohgwyn Palace, home of the demigod Mohg, Lord of Blood. It is on a corpse found along the east wall of the blood marsh, easily located by searching directly north from the Palace Approach Ledge-Road Site of Grace. Since Mohg is, himself, ironically vulnerable to hemorrhage, this spell can be quite useful against him.

25 Barrier of Gold

Great Against Enemies Who Use Magic

This powerful defensive spell is highly useful, allowing players to greatly reduce the damage they and their allies take from magic damage for a while. This makes it excellent for facing off against enemies and bosses that make use of magic, like the Glintstone Dragons and Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon.

Acquiring it is no easy feat, however, requiring players to enter Leyndell, Royal Capital, and defeat the specter of Godfrey, First Elden Lord.After doing so, the Incantation can be found on an invisible teardrop scarab by taking the stairs and then riding the elevator down.

24 Aspects Of The Crucible: Tail

Render Them Helpless

Another spell that is useful for utility rather than its raw damage output is Aspects of the Crucible: Tail. This spell allows players to manifest a spectral tail to swipe at foes, which is highly useful for stun-locking opponents and knocking them to the ground when fully charged. The spell does deal some damage but is best used for strategic knockdowns and crowd control.

This spell can be learned by defeating the Crucible Knight boss, who resides within the Stormhill Evergaol. The Crucible Knight is a difficult encounter that might be best saved for later in the game, despite appearing in an early-game area.

23 Radagon's Rings of Light

Deal Holy Damage

One of the Golden Order Incantations, Radagon's Rings of Light is an AOE blast of Holy Damage that expands out from the caster. This spell is a very cost-effective way of clearing out groups of enemies, and does respectable damage. Unfortunately, like many Golden Order Incantations, it is hampered by its damage type. Holy Damage is resisted by tons of enemies throughout the game, making it difficult to rely on this spell in many late-game areas. Additionally, this Incantation requires investment in both Intelligence and Faith to use, making it somewhat inaccessible to most builds.

All that said, Radagon's Rings of Light performs incredibly well in a build dedicated to Int and Faith and remains a powerful Incantation option for builds that can use it. Players will need to track down the Golden Order Principia Prayerbook, found in the Erdtree Sanctuary in Leyndell. Once this Prayerbook is given to either Corhyn or Miriel, the spell can be purchased for 7,500 Runes.

22 Lord's Heal

Don't Worry About Healing

A fantastic healing spell that can be found once Altus Plateau is reached is Lord's Heal, which heals an enormous amount of health to the player and nearby allies (which includes other players and also spirit summons). This spell is exceptionally useful in conjunction with any method of regaining FP without using flasks of Cerulean Tears (Like the Sacrificial Axe dropped by the Deathbird bosses) since it can improve the player's survivability and allow them to travel further between rests without needing to spend as many Flasks of Crimson Tears on Healing.

To acquire Lord's Heal, players must locate the Two Fingers' Prayerbook, found in the Fortified Manor (on the first floor) in the Leyndell Royal Capital.

21 Erdtree Heal

Never Run Out Of Health

Another exceptionally powerful healing spell, obtainable far later in the game than Lord's Heal, is Erdtree Heal. This spell is expensive but restores a massive amount of health to the player and allies when cast.

Much of the same advice given about Lord's Heal can also apply to this spell, though obtaining it will require players to reach the Queen's Bedchambers in Leyndell, Ashen Capital. This necessitates defeating the Fire Giant.

20 Catch Flame

Burst Of Flame

An excellent general-use damaging spell, Catch Flame allows players to create a burst of flame directly in front of them and can be charged up for extra damage. While it has an incredibly short effective range, Catch Flame's tremendous damage and quick casting time make it perfect for use throughout the game.

Catch Flame is a starting spell for the Prophet Class and can be learned from Brother Corhyn at Roundtable Hold for a mere 600 Runes.

19 Lightning Spear

Bolts Of Lightning

Another excellent general-use damaging spell, Lightning Spear allows players to conjure and throw bolts of lightning at their foes. When charged up, it brings the bolt down on the foe from above, dealing lightning damage in a small AOE around the target. Interestingly, this spell does not provoke enemies into dodging like many other projectile spells. This makes it invaluable for dealing with foes who might sidestep other damaging spells.

Lightning Spear can be acquired after retrieving the Dragon Cult Prayerbookfrom a knight that patrols just south of the Artist's Shack, in Liurna of the Lakes. After giving the Prayerbook to Brother Corhyn or Miriel, Pastor of Vows, the spell can be purchased for 6,000 Runes.

18 Discus of Light

Deal Damage To Multiple Targets

The Discus of Light Incantation is a Golden Order Incantation that throws out a light disk. This Light disk travels forward, dealing Holy Damage to anything it hits, before reversing direction and returning to the caster. This allows it to strike multiple targets on the way out and back, and also allows it to strike the same target twice if aimed well. It will adjust its return trajectory based on the player's position, which can be used to steer it into extra enemies. While it doesn't deal a lot of damage on its own, it costs very little FP and can be cast repeatedly. Additionally, it deals a tiny amount of poise damage, which can be used to stop enemy poise from regenerating when it isn't safe to hit them up close.

The Discus of Light also interacts with spell parrying abilities, like Carian Retaliation and Golden Retaliation. This allows a player with good timing to convert the returning disk into an extra attack by parrying it as it reaches them, dealing extra damage for minimal cost. Players can learn Discus of Light from Corhyn for 11,000 Runes, but only after he meets Goldmask.

17 Triple Rings of Light

An Upgrade Of Discus of Light

The Triple Rings of Light Incantation could be considered an upgrade for the Discus of Light, though the increased FP cost means that both will remain useful in many situations. This Golden Order Incantation sends out three light rings in a Cone in front of the Caster, each of which deals Holy Damage to anything it hits. Much like Discus of Light, these Rings travel out a short distance before returning to the caster, potentially hitting more enemies or damaging the same target multiple times. It interacts with spell parry effects in the same way as Discus of Light, allowing similar strategies to be employed to deal extra damage.

Players can find Triple Rings of Light by going to the Prayer Room Site of Grace in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree. Go out onto the walkway to the east of the Prayer Room and turn right, using the rooftops to descend to a Walkway lower down. Use a Stonesword Key to open the sealed room beneath the Prayer Room and grab Triple Rings of Light from the chest inside.

16 Golden Vow

Boost Your Attack/Defense

A fantastic spell for hybrid melee/faith builds, Golden Vow allows the player to boost their attack and defense, along with that of their allies, when cast. An easy spell to use right before a boss encounter, Golden Vow supplies a bit of extra attack and defense for those critical fights. Reapplying it during battle can sometimes be tricky due to the casting time, though this can be mitigated with a good dexterity stat.

Golden Vow can be found at the Corpse-Stench Shack in Mt Gelmir, guarded by Anastasia, Tarnished-Eater. Players should note that this invader needn't be defeated to claim the spell, as it is possible to run into the shack and grab it while she is in the process of invading the player's world. The spell grants a 15% boost to damage and a 10% boost to all damage negation. These are reduced to 7.5% and 5%, respectively, in PVP.

15 Flame, Grant Me Strength

Buff Your Fire And Physical Damage

Another excellent buff spell that can benefit melee fighters and fire-focused spellcasters. Flame, Grant Me Strength is a Fire Monk Incantation that grants a buff to physical and fire damage. More specifically, it grants a 20% damage buff to both, with this being reduced to 15% in PVP. This is a rather substantial boost, especially to weapons and spells that already deal a lot of damage, and even stacks with Golden Vow (see above) to produce even greater results.

Flame, Grant Me Strength is a fairly easy spell to locate if players are willing to brave Caelid, making it easily accessible as soon as players gain access to Torrent. It can be found behind Fort Gael, between a pair of Flame Chariots that should ideally be avoided unless players are confident in their ability to slip behind them and attack the drivers. Loot the dead body between the two chariots to grab the spell, which requires 15 Faith to cast. A small investment for such a powerful buff.

14 Honed Bolt

Powerful Bolt Of Lightning

An excellent spell for hitting foes that might otherwise be difficult to strike, Honed Bolt allows the caster to create a bolt of lightning from above a target. This allows it to hit foes from behind cover, terrain, or from height differences that would cause targeting problems for other spells.

This is an invaluable spell in the player's arsenal of damaging spells, and it can be cast repeatedly in quick succession for extra damage. Much like Lightning Spear, this is acquired from Brother Corhyn or Miriel, Pastor of Vows, after giving them the Dragon Cult Prayerbook.

13 Glintstone Breath

Costly, But Incredibly Useful

As one of the few means for faith casters to deal magic aspect damage, Glintstone Breath can be an excellent addition to their repertoire for handling foes that would be resistant to fire or holy. Much like Dragonfire and Dragonice (further down this list), Glintstone Breath can be maintained for an extended period by holding the cast button down, though it costs a lot of FP to do so.

Glintstone Breath can be learned at the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in Caelid at the cost of 1 dragon heart.

12 Rotten Breath & Ekzykes's Decay

The Deadly Pair

This pair of Dragon Incantations are particularly dangerous to most of the game's bosses, especially the formidable General Radahn. These allow players to spew a horrifying breath of Scarlet Rot, dealing damage and inflicting the Scarlet Rot on foes caught in the blast.

Rotten Breath can be purchased from the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in Caelid for 1 Dragon Heart, while Ekzykes's Decay can also be purchased there for 2 Dragon Hearts once Decaying Ekzykes has been defeated. The aforementioned Rot Dragon can be found near the Cathedral, making them easy to find but no easier to kill.

11 Aspect of the Crucible: Horn

Great For Strength/Faith Builds

A Crucible incantation that proves surprisingly useful against foes with low poise, the Aspect of the Crucible: Horn allows the user to sprout a horn from their shoulder and charge forward. This spell is excellent for sending smaller foes flying and staggering larger opponents. While the wind-up and charge can make it a little tricky to aim and time the attack correctly, this spell can be incredibly useful for Strength/Faith builds.

This spell can be obtained by defeating the Crucible Knight in Stormveil Castle, found by dropping off the Ramparts in the area with the birds and explosive barrels. It receives a 3.5% damage bonus for every piece of Crucible Knight armor the caster is wearing.

10 Lannseax's Glaive

Deal With Group Of Enemies

One of the more powerful Dragon Cult Incantations, especially when it comes to AOE damage, is Lannseax's Glaive. This Incantation allows the caster to create and swing a glaive made from red lightning, creating a spreading cone of lightning in front of the caster after the swing. This can sweep away groups of enemies easily, while also having enough hyperarmor to remain usable while under attack.

Players can learn Lannseax's Glaive by defeating Ancient Dragon Lannseax. Lannseax will first appear uphill from the Abandoned Grave Site of Grace on Altus Plateau, but they'll leave after taking enough damage or killing the player. To actually defeat them, players will need to head for the Rampartside Path Site of Grace, also found on Altus Plateau. From there, players can head up the hill and then head for the eastern edge of the ridge to lure Lannseax into battle again.